The devil," answered Sarah, lifting her eyes suddenly. "The
loathsome fiend was sitting between you."

Jacob Worse started back.

"You may be sure that it is he who has had the pleasantest day. He
rejoiced when he heard your oaths, the foul words, and all the
corruption of your hearts. Did you not see his crooked claws when he
set the bowl before you, that you might wallow in the debasing drink?
Did you not hear him laugh, when you sat befouling yourselves in the
mire of your sin, ripening for the pains of hell?"

Worse involuntarily began to rub his stomach. He felt the old
complaint there again.

"Oh, Sarah, don't say that!" he cried. But she continued fixing her
large cold eyes upon him the while, in such a way that he held up his
hand to shade himself from her gaze.

"How long, old man, will you trifle with the Lord? Have you no fear
of the doom of the impenitent, or have you heard and learnt nothing
of the terrors of the outer darkness?"

Worse crept, terrified, towards his room. Half drunk as he was, he
could not make it all out; he only heard the fearful words, and knew
that two flashing eyes were pursuing him.

Twice he piteously begged her to desist, but each time he got a new
scare, until at last, crushed and wretched, he slunk away to his
room, and crept into bed.

CHAPTER XII

Every night when she retired to rest, Henrietta repeated the promise
she had given to Lauritz when he left.

"I promise and swear to love you faithfully in life or death, and
never to marry any other."

But every morning when she rose, she sighed and wept; for the way
seemed dark before her, and she dreaded each day as it came.

On her twentieth birthday, her mother told her plainly that she must
soon marry. Lauritz was away on a long voyage, he would be absent for
two years, and even if he came back, she knew only too well that her
mother would never consent to their union. Henrietta fluctuated
between the downright promise and black hopelessness; at one moment
much cast down, at another, cheering herself with the thought of her
brave Lauritz, of how much he loved her, and how absolutely he
confided in her.

Her figure was not so full as her sister's, but was rather slight and
thin. Her bright vivacious countenance looked as if she was always on
the alert.

She confided in Sarah, who spoke to her, and urged her to obedience.

But Henrietta was too sharp-sighted not to have observed how it fared
with Sarah